Alonzo stansel



(No Model.)

' A.- & M. STANSEL'.

BAND CUTTER.

No.- 443,875. Patented Dec. 30, 1890.

Jnvenzars: I

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALONZO STANSEL AND MENZO STANSEL, OF YORKVILLE, ILLINOIS.

BAN D-CUTTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 448,875, dated December 30, 1890.

Application filed June 26, 1890. Serial No. 35618426| (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that we, ALONZO STANSEL and MENZO S'rANsEL, of Yorkville, in the county of Kendall and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Band-Cutters; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the'art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

Our invention relates to an improvement in band-cutters; and it consists in the construction and arrangement of parts, which will be fully described hereinafter.

The object of our invention is to secure to the central tine of a fork a blade or cutter, which will cut the band as the bundle is thrown to the feeding-table, and to provide this knife with springs which always keep it clear from straw.

Figure 1 is aperspective of a fork to which the cutter or blade is rigidly secured. Fig. 2 is a perspective of an attachment which can be applied to any common fork.

A represents an ordinary pitchfork, which is preferably provided with the two diagonal brace-rods B, which connect the central tine with the two outer ones, and which serve to compress the bundle as the tines are forced into it. These braces are not absolutely necessary, but are desirable. Rigidly secured to the outer end of the central tine of the fork is the diagonal-shaped blade or cutter O, which has its inner end formed upon an incline and provided with a cutting-edge, which is preferably made smooth upon one side and sickle-shaped upon the other. Through this blade or cutter, at any suitable distance from its cutting-edge, isformed a slot D, in which the central portion of the double-wire spring H catches. This spring is formed from a wire which is bent double, and which is wrapped a suitable number of times around the inner ends of the outer tines, and then has its ends secured to the socket J in any suitable manner. This spring serves to clear away from the knife any straws which have a tendency to adhere to it. When the fork is inserted into a bundle, the cutting edge of the knife is made to catch just under the band, so that the weight of the bundle will be brought to bear upon the band at that point where it rests upon the cutting-edge of the knife or blade, and then when the bundle is tossed upon the feeding-table the band is cut by the action of the blade before the bundle becomes separated from the fork. As the bundle rests upon the fork, its weight forces the spring downward to the bottom of the slot, and then as the bundle leaves the fork the springs clear away the straws which would have a tendency to adhere to the blade.

In case it is desired to convert an ordinary fork into a bandcutter a blade is made separate and distinct, as shown in Fig. 2, and is provided with a strip 1, which extends along under the central tine and is fastened to the socket by a suitable clamping device of any desired construction. As here shown, to the outer end of the strip there is secured a notched piece 0, in which a ring or clamping device is made to catch, and by means of which the end of the strip is secured rigidly in position. The spring is secured rigidly at its end inside of the frame Q, to which the blade or cutter is fastened, and this spring is given a vertical play in a slot formed in the frame by means of a spring which is placed under it, or the wire out of which the spring is formed may have enough elasticity to spring back into position when left free to move, and thus clear away the straws from the edge of the blade. The blade may be made triangular in shape and then rigidly secured to the inner end of the frame, as shown. through the frame and projects slightly through its outer end.

The inclined upper edge of the frame, either when made as a part of the fork or an attachment therefor, serves to guide the band directly to the cutting-edge of the blade or knife and to bring it into such a position that a band will be cut thereby.

Having thus described our invention, we claim 1. The combination of the fork with ablade The central tine of the fork passes Intestimony whereof weafiix our signatures 10 in presence of two witnesses.

ALONZO STANSEL. l\[ENZO S'IANSEL.

Witnesses:

GEO. ELLIOTT, O. C. KNUDSOX. 

